Need advice on internship vs summer ob/peds

[shadowness]

Hey everyone I have a dilemma. I wasn't accepted into summer ob/peds (3rd semester out of 5) yet but I may be if others drop for financial reasons or grades. I want to be a nurse anesthetist in the future but im currently going for my RN at the College of New Rochelle. My question is whether it's better to try and graduate asap to make money and get experience or should I take my time and do a summer internship. I have a hookup at Columbia Presbyterian where I may be able to work with a PA for 2 weeks in an ICU setting mostly, then work with the friend who is getting me the internship doing other floors and possibly working with pharmacy. It sounds like a great experience at a great hospital. How much value does interning hold, considering I want to get a masters (aka nurse anesthetist) or is it better to graduate and work med-surg then ICU then apply to CRNA school?

Sorry for the rant, thanks to all that reply! any questions and ill respond asap. :)

[shadowness]

bump, please need a response

[ExpatHopeful, LPN, LVN]

I would go for the internship personally. I'm sure it's tempting to get the program over with sooner, but internships are really valuable. I'm about to graduate and I would say the majority of people who did internships already have interviews lined up, the ones who didn't are nowhere near getting an interview. Some of the people who did internships are basically shoe-ins for the job since the hospitals pull their new grad pool from people who did internships there before looking at other candidates. They are guaranteed a meeting with HR and given their pick of units out of the ones who are hiring.

If you want to move on in your career faster you should also look at which hospitals hire new grads straight into the ICU because some do, for example Bellevue. I hear you need 2 years ICU before you can start CRNA, so if you can go straight into ICU you'll save yourself a lot of time there.